Christopher c



(No Model.)

O. 0. SHELBY.

CLASP.

Patented July 28, 1885.

Wjifn eases. Z40. fl, W

UNITE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

CLAS P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,985, dated July 28, 1885.

Application filed June 3, 1685. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER G. SHEL- BY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon My invention has for its object to provide a spring-clasp which is adapted to be attached to a piece of webbing and adjusted and held at any point thereon, and in which a portion of the webbing shall constitute one of the jaws or clamping parts of the clasp, so as not only to prevent the displacement of the clasp from its position of adjustment on the webbing, but also prevent the tearing orinjury of the fabric held by said clasp.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a clasp con structed in accordance with my invention applied to its supporting-webbing. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the same detached from the webbing. Fig. 4 is a view showing the application of the clasp to a piece of webbing, wherein the latter is turned back on itself so as to entirely protect the back of the plate of the clasp.

The letter A indicates the plate of the clasp, which is made preferably substantially flat, and is provided with slots or openings a a at its opposite ends to admit the webbing B, as shown in Fig. 2. This plate has ears 0, to which a movablejaw, D, is pivoted. A coiled spring, 6, operates to keep the gripping portion d of the jaw D closed against the webbing at b, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, such gripping portion being preferably'inclined backwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and serrated or not, as preferred.

It will be observed that when this clasp is connected to a piece of webbing or fabric the latter will be held between the gripping portion of the movable jaw on the one side and the webbing on the other side, the movable jaw thus constituting one jaw of the clasp and the webbing in effect the other. This arrangement is very desirable, since not only does the gripping portion of the movable jaw operate positively upon the webbing in a manner to hold the whole clasp in its place, but the article to be held is not so liable to become injurned or torn as would be the case were two serrated metal jaws employed, since the Webbing will slightly yield to the co-operating part of the movable jaw, and the article will be held more by being squeezed against and into the webbing than by reason of the teeth striking through it.

When the clasp is applied to the webbing, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the narrow portions or bars a adjoining the end slots of the plate A only are exposed at the back, though these bars would notlikelyinj ure the person or cloth ing of the wearer, inasmuch as they are practically countersunk below the general bearing-surface of the webbing. They may be entirely covered by bending back the end of the webbing, as shown in Fig. 4, or an additional piece of webbing or cloth. or other covering may be applied, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The herein-described clasp, consisting of the plate having the slots or openings at its opposite ends for the passage of the webbing, the movable jaw pivoted to cars formed upon said plate, and the spring for keeping the said jaw closed, said clasp being applied to the webbing in the manner described, so that the webbing shall constitute one of the grippingjaws, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

CHRISTOPHER G. SHELBY.

WVitnesses:

S. VAN ZANDT, SOLOMON K. OSBORN. 

